Suspension strut upper mount

Abstract

An automotive suspension strut upper mounting arrangement providing increased stroke length and enhanced tunability by virtue of the major working area of the mount being located above the tower attachment surface. The mounting assembly comprises an outer housing defined by an upper closure formed with a flanged brim and a lower closure formed with a terminal flange. The housing encloses a composite mount comprising an elastomeric isolator ring surrounding an inner metal cup with the cup upstanding side wall embedded in the ring. The ring has an upper end face which abuts an upper closure internal shoulder and a lower tubular extension sized for press-fit capture in a lower closure annular U-shaped channel. Upon the upper closure flanged brim and the lower closure terminal flange being secured in flatwise contact an axial pre-load is applied to the elastomeric ring.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An upper mounting assembly for a suspension telescoping shock absorber strut operatively connected between sprung and unsprung masses of a vehicle about a vertically disposed principal axis of the shock absorber, the strut provided with a piston rod adapted for reciprocal movement along the strut axis, means for connecting the mounting assembly to the vehicle sprung mass and means for connecting an upper end of the piston rod to the mounting assembly, the upper mounting assembly comprising: a composite isolator mount having a central inner metal cup formed with a bottom wall and an upstanding side wall concentrically disposed about the principal axis whereby an elastomeric ring surrounds said side wall with said side wall embedded therein;   said ring having an upper radially outer upper periphery defining an annular end face and an upper radially inner periphery defining an annular upstanding jounce collar, said ring having a lower outer periphery formed with an integral concentrically depending tubular extension of conforming radial extent relative to said upper end face, said ring having a lower inner periphery formed with an integral radially inwardly extending rebound collar bonded to an underside of said cup bottom wall;   said cup bottom wall formed with a central hole adapted to receive therethrough the piston rod upper end for attachment to said cup bottom wall, said cup side wall having its upper end terminating in jounce stop means;   said mounting assembly further comprising an outer housing concentrically disposed about the principal axis defined by upper and lower one piece metal closures, said upper closure having a cylindrical outer wall for concentrically surrounding said ring in a radially press-fit manner, said outer wall lower end terminating in a radially outwardly extending flanged brim, said outer wall formed with an upper cap portion defined by a radially inwardly extending shoulder and an axially upwardly extending riser terminating in a radially inwardly extending cap web defining a central access aperture;   said lower closure having a circular disc concentrically disposed about said axis bordered by a U-sectioned annular channel defined by interior and exterior axially extending channel walls joined by a radially extending bight wall, said exterior channel wall of predetermined diameter equal to said upper closure outer wall, said channel exterior wall terminating at its upper end in a radially outwardly extending terminal flange, whereby upon an upper surface of said terminal flange being secured in flatwise engagement with an undersurface of said flanged brim;   said composite mount configured and sized such that upon being enclosed in said assembled housing with said ring upper end face abuting an interior portion of said upper closure internal shoulder and said ring tubular extension being sized and configured for press-fit reception in said lower closure channel with a free lower end face of said extension is in abutting contact with said bight wall;   whereby with said upper closure flange brim and said lower closure terminal flange affixed in flatwise abutment said ring is axially compressed in a pre-loaded manner such that said jounce and rebound collars are axially spaced a predetermined extent from an underside of said cap ring and an underside of said disc, respectively, with said piston rod in its neutral mode.   
     
     
       2. The strut upper mounting assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said cup jounce stop means in the form of an annular lip portion being bulb-shaped in radial section. 
     
     
       3. The strut upper mounting assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper closure member wall and said lower closure member wall have a common internal diameter. 
     
     
       4. The strut upper mounting assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein cap web access aperture and said isolator central cavity having substantially equal diameters. 
     
     
       5. The strut upper mounting assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said lower closure member inner channel wall having an axial dimension about one-half the axial dimension of said outer channel wall. 
     
     
       6. The upper mounting assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein said upper closure member shoulder is stepped and said shoulder and riser are provided with a plurality of integrally formed downwardly and outwardly sloped ramp portions, each said ramp portion having its upper inner terminus forming a radius juncture with an outer peripheral sector of said cap web and its lower terminus forming a radiused juncture with said upper closure outer wall, whereby said ramp portions providing lead-in guides for ready blind insertion of said upper closure member in a structural panel circular flanged aperture.